Another Corp-o-Rat Quits ALEC!!!!

It appeared not that long ago that ALEC was presenting a monolithic front to the world, one of power and secrecy and money - a lot of money, used to buy influence from Republicans and other conservatives.

That monolithic facade has been crumbling faster than anyone could have expected; the Corp-o-rats are leaving the sinking conservative special interest buying government ship in the face of bright light and public disapproval. 

While the right tries to style this as some sort of bad public pressure, it is the epitome, the personification of democracy, of people power not corporate power.  It is more than anything public outrage at special interest co-option and corruption of our government.

The World Bank uses the definition of corruption - the abuse of public office for private gain.  The ONLY reason that corp-o-rat members participated in ALEC was that it gave them some form of gain, some kind of unfair and illicit, possibly illegal, advantage.  That the right wing values-spouting politicians comprise nearly all of the legislative members of ALEC - and nearly all of the few who were Democrats left a long time ago - one has to ask the question of the right. 

Is all that spouting of values because they don't actually have any?

If I had time to photoshop this image,
I could have some fun putting the two heads
of the Koch Brothers on it in a similar style,
and adding the name ALEC to the ship

Sadly, while an increasing number of companies quit ALEC, there are a few left behind who won't give up the ship, notably the Kochtopuss representing the Koch Industries / Koch Brothers who have so far adamantly resisted abandoning ALEC.  Personally, I think the rats are probably just jumping ship from ALEC to a new, secret, just as shady and shadowy entity from which to engage in illegal lobbying like conduct to continue to corrupt and loot government, and by extension all of us.

In case you have forgotten what ALEC is, or how it operates, here is a handy diagram:

What corp-o-rat will be the next to go?

Wonderful news from ThinkProgress:

BREAKING: Johnson & Johnson Drops ALEC

By Annie-Rose Strasser on Jun 12, 2012 at 5:43 pm

Johnson and Johnson has been facing mounting pressure following a push from Color of Change and other progressive groups to leave the conservative agenda-setting group.

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson announced today that they are dropping their membership from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
ALEC is responsible for crafting voter suppression legislation that has been used in state houses across the country, and the “Stand Your Ground” law that originally protected Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman. Johnson and Johnson is the latest in a huge wave of groups leaving ALEC.
Other groups that have dropped ALEC include: Walmart, Amazon.com, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft, Wendy’s, Mars, Inc., Arizona Public Service, the National Board for Professional Teaching StandardsScantron, The National Association of Charter School Authorizers, Kaplan, Procter & Gamble, Yum! Brands, five Pennsylvania legislators, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Reed Elsevier, American Traffic Solutions, Intuit, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.